Idea Village seeks startups that want to move to New Orleans

Applications are now available for the Idea Village’s second annual IDEAtour, which is designed to recruit national entrepreneurs to move their companies to New Orleans.

IDEAtour was developed last year through partnerships with The Idea Village, Greater New Orleans Inc. and the New Orleans Business Alliance.

The IDEAtour will be held March 23-24 during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

Michael Hecht, president and CEO of GNO Inc., said the program gives interested startups a curated opportunity to see firsthand what the city has to offer. The idea is that more jobs will be brought into the region.

Entrepreneurs who aim for high-growth and are in the early stages and possibly looking to move to New Orleans are encouraged to apply at http://bit.ly/IDEAtour2017. The deadline is Feb. 3.

According to a news release, participants will be chosen by a selection committee from the three partner organizations. Preference will be shown to entrepreneurs whose startups fit within New Orleans’ industry trends and culture or can be helped from the regional tax incentives.

Emily Madero, acting CEO of The Idea Village, said last year’s pilot program recruited one tech company to New Orleans. Their goal is to build on that momentum to bring new businesses and opportunities to the region.

Michael Underwood, founder of mobile app Scenehound, participated in the inaugural IDEAtour while considering a move to either New Orleans or Austin. His experience during the program led him to move his startup to New Orleans.